Hello! We’re SU Ventures.

The first and only startup program dedicated to entrepreneurs who are leveraging technology to solve humanity’s grand challenges.

SU Ventures is a global community of startups using exponential technologies to solve global challenges. We look for startups that are tackling the world’s most difficult problems and take a long-term approach to help them build high-growth sustainable businesses. If you believe your venture has the potential to positively impact the world, you’ve found your tribe.

Everything we do is built on top of three key pillars that are engineered to ensure your business thrives. We provide access to:

Capital from angels, VCs, foundations, contracts, grants, and other sources to help your company grow

Customers from pilots with our F1000 partners and field deployments with development organizations

Most importantly, we understand long-term sustainability is key to the success of your startup. As a result, we take a long-term approach because we know you have big problems you’re trying to solve.

“I come to SU to learn about the future, and discuss it with the people who know more than anyone else on the planet. Then I go back to my team in Colorado and build that future. This is the power of the SU network—knowing about the future before it happens.”

—Dmitriy Starson, Ph.D.
CEO

Built for Entrepreneurs Like You

SU Ventures works with startups at the intersection of exponential technologies and global impact. Our programs provide the know-how that can accelerate breakthroughs with support in an “all-you-can-engage” format for as long as you’re in business.

After years of experience working with our portfolio companies, we’ve learned that startups focused on impact need more than an accelerator. What moonshot innovators need is support to create long-term sustainability, because it takes time to solve big problems.

So we’ve reinvented the way we work with startups—and changed the game for traditional accelerator and incubator programs.

We’ve mapped our entire approach to focus on the three key outcomes to help your startup achieve long-term success: Capital, Customers, and Connections. We offer multiple exclusive bootcamps, sprints, and other programs that go deep and aren’t available anywhere else.

Capital

We provide bootcamps that focus on teaching founders how to raise and leverage various types of capital to create growth, scale, and sustainability in impact-focused startups.

Grant-raising

We help for-profit startups understand how to find and apply for grants (i.e., non-dilutive capital, aka free money!). We explain the best ways to work with grantmakers, how to factor in foundations’ grantmaking priorities, and how to position your proposals to win funding.

Fundraising

We also teach founders how to raise money from investors. We work through the basics like cap tables, term sheets, funding stages, fundraising tips, and pitfalls, but we don’t stop there. We also share high-stakes negotiation strategies, explore investor risk assessment methods, and reveal how to decode investor questions.

In addition to bootcamps, we also support your startup with facilitated warm introductions to our extensive investor and funder networks that ultimately open new doors.

Customers

A well-architected pilot with clear metrics and feedback loops can launch a startup’s success and accelerate the product development lifecycle. Our programs are designed to help you foster and innovate early pilots and partnerships. We bring together corporates, startups, and development organizations (we call them Impact Partners) to work with you to develop pilots, field trials, and partnerships.

Connections

Well-placed connections and timely introductions are game-changing for startups. All SU Ventures programs are strengthened by tailored mentorship designed to help your startup address specific challenges, scale your impact, and get to market faster. SU offers a stellar network and dedicated community of mentors.

Board of Advisors

We have a large and diverse group of marquee mentors, renowned faculty, F500 corporate partners, staff, and alumni. You will receive a carefully curated board of advisors matched to domain expertise, stage, and specific needs of your startup that will work with you to uncover new opportunities for your business.

Mentor Community

You will gain access to specialized expertise and wisdom from our network of over 500 well-connected mentors. Through selective matching with knowledgeable and enthusiastic experts, you will expedite your progress toward your critical milestones. This support not only helps you rapidly iterate and problem-solve, but it also promotes personal development and dramatically expands your professional networks. Many of our mentors are successful entrepreneurs and investors with deep domain experience and, equally important, are driven by a desire to make an impact on the world. See a small sample of our incredible mentor network.

Ecosystem Sandbox

SU Ventures provides valuable connections and opportunities to work with investors, foundations, corporate partners, development organizations, incubators, accelerators, and others in the startup ecosystem. We understand that impact startups need a supportive environment where they can test, prototype, iterate, collaborate, and learn from others with expertise they need. Uncommon partnerships can open the door to pilots that enable startups to de-risk technology, test, and learn from rapid feedback cycles to build for product market fit.

“We believe Singularity University has one of the few well-positioned programs with solid management to execute the operations and help startup companies reach their goals.”

—Paul Mahal
CEO, Stanford Ventures, LLC

SU Ventures Programs

2018 Calendar

SU Ventures offers our portfolio companies an all-you-can-engage model with a variety of different programs to participate in.

Sprint

Accelerate your milestones and focus on what matters.

Join us for a Sprint to target key milestones that drive your business, and get them done. You’ll be matched with a custom Board of Advisors from our expert network and work with faculty and staff to get answers to propel your efforts forward faster. This program gives you the resources, time and tools to accelerate your startup’s milestones, gain clarity on priorities and focus on what matters. You will walk out with a robust and vetted roadmap that enables you to accomplish key milestones in 6 months versus 12.

Incubator Sprints

Problem SprintThe Problem Sprint will help you dig into your problem space, identify stakeholders, and understand what has worked and what hasn’t. With design thinking, exploratory research, and access to experts, you will improve your understanding of the problem you are solving, including your customer needs and markets, so you build the right product.

Solution SprintThe Solution Sprint could be great for you if you are aiming to improve your product design, launch new products, or enter new markets. From future forecasting and SciFi Design Intelligence workshops to prototyping and user testing processes, this sprint will help you carry out customer validation and achieve product-market fit.

Go to Market SprintThe Go to Market Sprint will help you plot your path to sustainability. Learn from experts on market sizing, type of business models, value proposition, storytelling, negotiation, sales, and pipeline management, along with scrappy marketing techniques to reach your target market.

Pitch CoachingFor founders who want to refresh their pitch or rethink their narrative, engage in a week-long program where you will receive one-on-one pitch coaching with an expert. Learn how to effectively pitch and customize your pitch decks for sales, fundraising, and marketing.

Funding Sprint

The Funding Sprint provides an overview of legal structures, cap tables, equity, patents and IP, and alternative forms of raising capital in addition to VC. Learn from experts in the Impact Investing space, understand what foundations, governments, and grantmakers are looking for and how to win funding. Work on your pitch deck and understand if and when to should target VC funding, Impact Investors, grants, philanthropy, and SBIR awards.

Impact Investing Bootcamp

Leverage the power of social impact investing

This cutting-edge, 3-day bootcamp is a crash course for startup founders to learn the ins and outs of social impact investing. Founders will learn how to leverage impact investing to increase their impact, improve stability, and grow the sustainability of their company. This bootcamp is for both nonprofit and for-profit startups!

VC Fundraising Bootcamp

Understand and target the right investors

This three-day bootcamp is designed to train entrepreneurs on successfully navigating the venture capital and angel investment field in Silicon Valley. Entrepreneurs will also understand the essentials for developing a compelling presentation and fundraising strategy that will increase their chances of raising outside capital.

You will…

Learn the key information to present to investors, how best to present it and handle the Q&A session.

Gain a better understanding of term sheets, valuation, dilution and bridge loans, effective negotiation. strategies, getting to the next round of investment, and other topics essential to the fundraising process.

Create and receive feedback on a 10-slide Investor deck

Determine who to target for investment, how to identify those individuals/firms and how to connect with them.

Receive individual coaching throughout the following month.

Eligible Participants: SU Ventures startups

Demo Faire

Participate in SU Ventures signature showcase for innovative impact startups. You will have the chance to pitch to the Demo Faire’s audience of investors, experts, and SU supporters. Along with an amazing line up of startups, the Demo Faire creates an exciting experience for attendees with music, art, food, and inspired networking.

Portfolio Retreats

Attend a Portfolio Retreat to meet your fellow SU company founders and learn how to leverage your collective networks, domain expertise, and resources to accelerate your business. Join a community of peers that truly understand what it takes to build a business solving some of the world’s most difficult problems.

Summits

Join us at Summits around the world covering a variety of entrepreneurial tracks. You’ll get valuable new information and enjoy opportunities to network with investors, faculty, and staff and to reconnect with other alumni globally. SU Ventures portfolio companies receive discounted admission to over 15 international Summits globally.

EIR (Entrepreneur in Residence) Program

SU Ventures also offers the opportunity for seasoned entrepreneurs to put their skills and lessons learned to use, helping to support the next generation of impact founders. The EIRs (Entrepreneurs in Residence) are tasked with meeting teams and founders where they are, poking holes and providing guidance when the founders need it most.

Stay in the Loop!

Not quite ready to apply? Want to hear about new programs and track the adventures of our startups? Sign up here to get updates about SU Ventures, and you’ll be the first to know when we have new programs to announce.

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